Halibut Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 ...has surely occurred wth the killing by lethal injection of Troy Davis in Jackson, Georgia. Davis was convicted of murder of a police officer Mark McPhail, in 1991 despite no forensic evidence linking him to the shooting and the fact that the gun used in the murder was never recovered. Seven out of the nine witnesses who testified against Davis have since recanted their testimony and one of them states that another man present at the scene of the shooting Sylvester Cole had fired the fatal shots. Another witness testified under oath that Cole had confessed to the killing on three occasions and that Davis was the fall guy. Shortly before his death Davis adressed members of MacPhail family in the death chamber and said "I was not responsible for what happened that night. I did not have a gun. I was not the one who took the life of your father, son, brother." He then adressed his killers saying ''For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls'' I believe Davis was probably innocent and have always been against capital punishment. Even if you, the person reading this, believe in it, surely this case must shake your belief that it's the right thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappy68 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 For someone guilty of a heinous crime and be found 100% guilty with proof, then I'm for the death penalty. However in this case, I have to agree, I feel he was probably innocent, and deffinately should not have been killed without more evidence . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Womerry2 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Among the many questions this case raises, I think a fairly important one is whether the campaign to stop the execution ended up being counter-productive. Consider a state that elects as Governor a man who resigned from the Senate to pre-empt corruption charges. Would people with that kind of outlook ever do anything other than dig their heels in, no matter the cost, rather than "be told what to do"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMaquis Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I see Obama didn't intervene. Along with his decision to veto Palestine's attempt at the UN to have its statehood recognised is he seeking the Republican nomination for next year's presidential elections? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 I see Obama didn't intervene. Along with his decision to veto Palestine's attempt at the UN to have its statehood recognised is he seeking the Republican nomination for next year's presidential elections? I noticed that too, LeMaquis. If I was in Obama's shoes, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night after that decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrod Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Numerous appeals rejected - I wonder if that's because the appeal system is manned by racists who just want another black man to be executed, or because they have more information than we have access to and are able to sleep soundly knowing that a murderer has been removed from society? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Womerry2 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I noticed that too, LeMaquis. If I was in Obama's shoes, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night after that decision. Does the President actually have the power to intervene? As I understood it, the current law does not permit the Governor to grant a stay of execution, so it may well be that the legal possibilities were exhausted when the Surpreme Court appeal failed. I don't think we can expect the President to rule by what he belives is right and disregard legal advice (unless he is suffering from severe messianic delusions). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quisquose Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'm not so sure about the innocence of Troy Davis as you Halibut, but the fact that we cannot be 100% certain of his guilt is the point. Ever since I read about the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, and Governor Rick Perry's eagerness to execute somebody who most probably was innocent, I can only conclude, with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, that Texas is no better than an Islamic state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Numerous appeals rejected - I wonder if that's because the appeal system is manned by racists who just want another black man to be executed, or because they have more information than we have access to and are able to sleep soundly knowing that a murderer has been removed from society? Given that in Georgia 48.4% of people on death row this morning were black males, and in Georgia they make up no more than 15% of the population - then yes it's by no means impossible to imagine that racism came into this killing somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Casper Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I noticed that too, LeMaquis. If I was in Obama's shoes, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night after that decision. I have to agree with everything you've said Halibut. If the death penalty is to be carried out then it has to be a 100% watertight conviction, and not an inconclusive case as this was. Obama...hang your head in shame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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